1. Safe Spaces

Spaces for Children

Safe Places

Adapted from a reflection by a Community Artist

None of the children at the community center love to draw more than Stefano. When I met him, he was nine and all of his friends told me he was an artist. Stefano was very shy and reserved. Once he knew that I was an artist and was going to teach art activities at the center, he began to hang out at the center, asking for paper and printing "how-to-draw" pages for anything from cars to cartoons. Stefano signed up for all of our drawing workshops for the past five years but he has never finished any of them. Stefano has a rough life at home. His mom is always at work. Both his dad and his older Brother are in prison and have been as long as I have known him. He spends many hours alone at his house. This is one reason he used to come over to the community center (which is across from his house) nearly every day. Another reason is that he knows that it is a place where he belongs and is valued. At some time during the 10 weeks of each art course, Stefano usually gets overwhelmed with the process and stops coming to workshop. Sometimes he will come to the show and participate. Sometimes he will show up at the end of the exhibition. Before sessions start again, he is back to hanging out at the community center. During registration, he will sign up for one or more workshops and we go through the whole process again. We have talked over the past five years about the fact that he has trouble finishing things. He's working on it. Last May for our Spring Exhibition, he came right after school and helped set up the show and assisted the DJ throughout the whole process. While he didn't finish artwork for that exhibition, now as a 14 year old boy, he realizes he can help make the exhibition happen. Stefano has taught me that the success of the arts program has less to do with the artwork that is exhibited at the annual show and more to do with the fact that we can create a safe, consistent place for youth—a place where they know they are welcomed, loved, and can express their ideas and creativity far beyond the bounds of a workshop.

All children need:

Love

Affirmation

Meaningful Productivity

Purpose

Belonging

Creative spaces have color, sound, and things to touch

What do all children need to thrive? Children are very different from adults. Each child has their own needs but all children need love, affirmation, and a sense of meaningful productivity, purpose, and belonging. Spaces for children should be designed to meet these universal needs. They should be spaces where children can learn and be creative. Spaces should be:

Safe

Spaces for children need to protect them from physical and emotional harm and help them feel safe. Physically safe spaces are spaces that are clean, free of sharp objects and dangerous things. They have room for children to move and play. To keep children physically safe, adults need to set rules of proper behavior and be constantly aware of what is going on in the environment. Physically safe spaces also meet children’s basic needs. These spaces should be accessible to all including those with learning and physical disabilities and those who are pregnant. Whenever possible, children should have access to clean drinking water, basic sanitation and hand washing facilities.

Children also need emotionally safe spaces that are child-friendly. Child friendly spaces “provide children with a sense of safety, structure, continuity, and support amidst often overwhelming circumstances." These are spaces where children feel free to express their thoughts and ideas without fear of ridicule. Safe spaces for children should uphold peace and gender equity and accept differences of class, caste, and religion. Children need to be surrounded by caring adults who listen to them and encourage them. Adults should address each child by their name and give them each individual attention. Emotionally safe spaces encourage child participation and help children normalize common reactions to challenging situations.

Special/Sacred

Spaces for children should be special spaces, sacred places. When children enter a special place they cross a threshold from the ordinary world to the extraordinary world. This threshold is created through clear boundaries and a single opening where children enter and exit. It is reinforced by opening and closing rituals that welcome children to the special space and prepare them to leave. Children should feel connected to the space. One way to accomplish this is to let children add their creations to the space like painting a mural on the wall or hanging up their artwork.

Creative

Spaces for children need to be creative spaces. Children should be free to express themselves in both discussion and art-making. Adults should encourage acceptance of different views and opinions. Creative spaces should have lots of color, sound, different textures to touch, and objects with which children can interact. These spaces are filled with engaging materials like maps, photos, diagrams, and artwork that will encourage children to be curious and involved.

You can make creative safe spaces for children anywhere from informal settlements and alleys to community centers and local businesses. These spaces can be transformed into creative spaces with a little creativity. The cover of this book shows children playing in Haiti where community members and volunteers helped transform an earthquake affected outdoor space into a creative safe space.

How to Transform Difficult Spaces into Creative Safe Spaces

Example: Is this a creative safe space for children?

What would you do to make this a creative safe space?

Example: Safe Spaces for Children in Haiti

All of these pictures are a space for children near Port Au Prince, Haiti. The compound had a church, an activity room, and an outdoor area. During the earthquake, the concrete activity room collapsed and one child was killed. The other buildings were cracked and unsafe. Children were afraid to sleep inside the buildings and started sleeping in tents outside in the compound yard. The outside area was littered with dangerous car parts, trash and pieces of the collapsed building. Community leaders were trying to rebuild, but while they were building, there was no space for the children to play safely. BuildaBridge visited the space in 2010. The artists and the children worked together to clean up a small part of the space. They asked the owner to move the car parts while they moved trash and the big pieces of rubble. They used the smaller rubble pieces to make a boundary around the new space to make it a special or sacred space. Children painted murals on the walls to make their space more creative and to feel more connected to it. They also created a sculpture garden with the building pieces, paint and some rubble. The new space now had room for children to learn and play. It was decorated with engaging and creative images which helped it become a physically and emotionally safe space.

Experience: Space Transformation

Goal: Practice transforming a space into a creative safe space for children

Divide into groups and identify a section of the room your group will transform. In 10 minutes, transform the space to be a safe, special, and creative place for children. Write a song about the important parts of your group’s space below and perform it for everyone.

Reflection: Children’s Spaces

Where do children play in your community?

Where do they learn?

Are these Creative Safe Spaces? How could you make them Creative Safe Spaces?

Creative Safe Space Checklist

Use this checklist to ensure your space is safe for children. Write additional items in the blank spaces.

Before the Program begins ensure that:

Children have access to a latrine and water

Space is free of sharp or dangerous things

Space is clean

Space has defined boundaries and a threshold that children cross to enter and exit

Area has lots of color, sound, different textures to touch and interact with

Space is filled with engaging materials like maps, photos, diagrams, and artwork

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During the Program ensure that:

Adults work with children to set and maintain rules

Children are encouraged to share their opinions and ideas

Adults listen to children and encourage them

Adults learn and use children’s names

Threshold is reinforced by greeting children daily as they enter

Children feel connected to the space by helping decorate it with their artwork

Adults ask children what they think is needed to improve the safe space

Adults encourage acceptance to different views and opinions

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Homework Activity: Community Walk

Goal: Evaluate spaces for children in your community with your new understanding of child-safe spaces

Take a walk in your community and look for spaces where children learn and play. As you walk, talk to a friend or think about what makes these safe or unsafe spaces. Also consider if these spaces are creative spaces. Are they sacred spaces—why or why not? Write notes and paste or draw pictures below.